A CUSTODY sergeant from Rugby is to keep his job after pleading guilty to breaching regulations regarding the detention of asthmatics in police cells, the Police Complaints Authority said today.

The sergeant, who has not been named, was fined an undisclosed sum by Warwickshire Police at a misconduct hearing after admitting two charges of breaching a code of conduct in relation to his duties.

The PCA said the hearing was a result of a complaint made against police following an incident last June.

An asthmatic man, who was drunk and had been CS-sprayed, was left handcuffed in a cell for 15 minutes following his arrest and arrival at the town's police station, the hearing was told.

In addition, the sergeant failed to check on the complainant at regular intervals, as required by the visiting police surgeon and the codes of practice issued in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the PCA said.